17.05.040 Grading inspections.
(a) Generally. All grading operations for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the Public Works Department.
(b) Grading Designations. All grading in excess of five acres or 5,000 cubic yards shall be performed in accordance with the approved grading plan prepared by a civil engineer, and shall be designated as “engineered grading.” Grading involving less than five acres or 5,000 cubic yards shall be designated “regular grading” unless the permittee, with the approval of the Public Works Director, chooses to have the grading performed as engineered grading.
(c) Engineered Grading Requirements.
(1) For engineered grading, it shall be the responsibility of the civil engineer who prepares the approved grading plan to incorporate all recommendations from the soils engineering and engineering geology reports into the grading plan. The civil engineer shall also be responsible for the professional inspection and approval of the grading within his area of technical specialty. This responsibility shall include, but need not be limited to, inspection and approval as to the establishment of line, grade and drainage of the development area.
(2) The civil engineer shall act as the coordinating agent in the event the need arises for liaison between the other professionals, the contractor and the Public Works Department. The civil engineer shall also be responsible for the preparation of revised plans and the submission of as-graded grading plans upon completion of the work. The permit holder shall submit in a form prescribed by the Development Coordination Office a statement of compliance to such as-built plan.
(3) During grading all necessary reports, compaction data and soil engineering and engineering geology recommendations shall be submitted to the civil engineer and the Development Coordination Office by the soils engineer and the engineering geologist. The soils engineer’s area of responsibility shall include, but need not be limited to, the professional inspection and approval concerning the preparation of ground to receive fills, testing for required compaction, stability of all finish slopes and the design of buttress fills, where required, incorporating data supplied by the engineering geologist. The engineering geologist’s area of responsibility shall include, but need not be limited to, professional inspection and approval of the adequacy of natural ground for receiving fills and the stability of cut slopes with respect to geological matters and the need for subdrains or other groundwater drainage devices. He shall report his findings to the soils engineer and the civil engineer for engineering analysis.
(4) The Public Works Department shall inspect the project at the various stages of the work requiring approval to determine that adequate control is being exercised by the professional consultants.
(d) Regular Grading Requirements. The Development Coordination Office may require inspection and testing by an approved testing agency. The testing agency’s responsibility shall include, but need not be limited to, approval concerning the inspection of cleared areas, benches to receive fill, and the compaction of fills. When the Development Coordination Office has reason to believe that geologic factors may be involved, the grading operation will be required to conform to engineered grading requirements.
(e) Notification of Noncompliance. If, in the course of fulfilling the responsibility under this chapter, the civil engineer, the soils engineer, the engineering geologist or the testing agency finds that the work is not being done in conformance with this chapter or the approved grading plans, the discrepancies shall be reported immediately in writing to the person in charge of the grading work and to the Public Works Director. Recommendations for corrective measures, if necessary, shall also be submitted.
(f) Transfer of Responsibility for Approval. If the civil engineer, the soils engineer, the engineering geologist or the testing agency of record is changed during the course of the work, the work shall be stopped until the replacement has agreed to accept the responsibility within the area of his technical competence for approval upon completion of the work. (Ord. 16432 § 7, 3-10-92. Code 1995 § 66-89.)
Cross References:Public Works Department, TMC 2.20.100.